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Beacons Smartphone Shopping

64% of shoppers would like to receive targeted coupons to their smartphones while shopping in-store

By Angela Haggerty, Reporter

May 7, 2014 | 3 min read

A study has found that 64 per cent of shoppers would like to receive targeted coupons on their smartphones while they are shopping in a store.

Report: 65% of shoppers would like targeted deals via smartphone

The research from Savvy Marketing – which surveyed 1,000 shoppers – discovered that 65 per cent of all shoppers found the idea of receiving targeted coupons to their phones attractive, while 64 per cent thought receiving coupons while already in-store would be appealing.

Other popular ways to use smartphones in the retail environment included using phones to find something shoppers were looking for in-store (59 per cent), replacing physical loyalty cards with mobile versions (58 per cent), receiving additional product information via smartphone on items of interest (53 per cent) and using smartphones to enter competitions (52 per cent).

Some retailers have already begun trialling ideas to improve digital services for shoppers that go beyond online shopping, and the report noted that the roll-out of in-store Wi-Fi is “essential” to ensure shoppers are always connected.

In October last year, Sainsbury’s began trialling a ‘scan and shop’ smartphone app, while Tesco has piloted the use of Apple’s iBeacon technology, which uses beacons dotted around stores to maintain constant communication with shoppers’ phones. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola revealed it was testing iBeacons for possible use in its World Cup marketing strategy this summer.

Alastair Lockhart, insight director at Savvy Marketing, said the research showed the potential for digital shopper marketing and said brands should be considering how they can incorporate such features into strategies.

“Our research shows the scale and scope of shoppers’ increased demand for digital shopper marketing – they truly are open to receiving personalised, relevant and timely marketing communications that inspire purchases in new ways,” he said.

“Retailers, who are the closest to the shopper, need to facilitate and lead this fundamental change. Brands, on the other hand, also need to up their game. We see them taking more of a partnership role with these types of initiatives in conjunction with retailers – rather than expecting shoppers to download numerous apps for each brand owner, making it unnecessarily complex.”

When questioned on who shoppers would trust to deliver such initiatives, 68 per cent of those surveyed said they would trust big retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons to send them targeted promotions directly, while 58 per cent said they would trust loyalty card providers such as Nectar, Clubcard or Boots Advantage Card.

Thirty-two per cent of those surveyed said they would trust brands they regularly buy to send them promotions, and 17 per cent said they would put their faith in discount deal sites like Groupon and KGB Deals. However, almost a quarter of those surveyed in the report (24 per cent) said they would trust none of those groups to deliver targeted promotions directly to their smartphones.

Beacons Smartphone Shopping

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Savvy Marketing

As an award-winning creative, retail and shopper marketing agency we help brands and retailers sell more by influencing shopper and consumer behaviours online, in-store...

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